Multiple input copying apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing copy from simultaneously imaged multiple inputs including opaque card stock adapted to be removably positioned on the platen of a copying machine to present variable information as a composite image with a transparent document bearing fixed information. The apparatus comprises a platen on which the transparency bearing fixed information is supported, card handling means for advancing the opaque cards bearing other information in registration with a selected portion of the transparency along a first dimension and control means associated with said card handling means for moving said cards from a first to additional positions along the platen for projection with a selected portion along a second dimension of the transparency.

United States Patent [72] Inventor William 1. White Rochester. N.Y. [2]]Appl. No 864,711 [22] Filed Oct. 8, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 16, I971[73] Assignee Xerox Corporation Rochester, NY.

[54] MULTIPLE INPUT COPYING APPARATUS 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 355/6, 271/44, 355/7 [51] 1nt.Cl ..G03g 15/00 50FieldotSearchWHm. 355/6,7; 271/44 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,889,758 6/1959 Bolton 355/6 Primary Examiner-Samuel S.Matthews Assistant ExaminerRichard L. Moses Attorneys-Norman E.Schrader, James J. Ralabate and Melvin A Klein ABSTRACT: Apparatus forproducing copy from simultaneously imaged multiple inputs includingopaque card stock adapted to be removably positioned on the platen of acopying machine to present variable information as a composite imagewith a transparent document bearing fixed information. The apparatuscomprises a platen on which the transparency bearing fixed information18 supported, card handling means for advancing the opaque cards bearingother information in registration with a selected portion of thetransparency along a first dimension and control means associated withsaid card handling means for moving said cards from a first toadditional positions along the platen for projection with a selectedportion along a second dimension of the transparency.

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PATENTEMuv 15 Ian 3.620.618

sum 2 or 3 MULTIPLE INPUT COPYING APPARATUS This invention relates ingeneral to forms copying and, in particular, to improved apparatus forsimultaneously imaging from multiple inputs. More specifically, theinvention relates to an improved apparatus for causing multiple imagesto be formed from documents bearing fixed information, as in the body ofa letter, placed on a platen together with variable information, forexample, addressees arranged on card stock which are copied byreflection projection onto a light sensitive surface to form a compositeimage thereon.

Electrostatic copying encompasses the entire field of forming andutilizing latent electrostatic charge patterns to record and reproducepatterns in viewable form. Since electrostatic copying has been in use,a variety of machines and devices have been proposed to incorporate theelectrostatic processes in a manner to form copies of documents on acommercial basis. For the most part, each of these such devices has beenspecifically designed to the solution of a particular reproductionproblem, and for the most part, has been limited to the particularuse intended. Thus, for example, machines are presently in widecommercial use for the continuous high speed enlargement and copying ofmicrofilm and for reproducing from opaque originals. These machines areincapable, presently, of reproducing copies from information containedon an original document and then additional information which differsfrom copy to copy as in the case of different addressees to whom copiesare to be sent.

One of the most commercially successful of the electrostatic copyingmachines is that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,062,109 to Mayo issued onNov. 6, 1962. This machine has been commercially used for reproducingfrom opaque originals which are placed on a platen on its desklike top.As useful as this machine is, as evidenced by its commercial acceptance,it cannot be used to reproduce electrostatic copies from fixed andvariable input simultaneously in conjunction with document informationto be copied. The value of a machine capable of reproducingsimultaneously from both inputs is manifest. Its use in such operationsas addressing form letters, inserting variable information into standardforms, purchase orders, etc., show but a few of the many uses and needsfor a copier with the capabilities that this invention enables such anapparatus to attain.

It is therefore an object of this invention to improve reproductionapparatus for reproducing composite images from simultaneously appliedmultiple inputs.

Another object of this invention is to improve machines for reproducingcopies of both forms while easily inserting in a composite manner intosaid forms some selected variable information.

A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment forexisting copiers to enable them to reproduce from multiple inputssimultaneously onto a single transfer copy sheet.

Yet another object of this invention is to employ inexpensive and easilyfabricated equipment to reproduce electrostatically with highcommercially satisfactory resolutions original information whilesimultaneously reproducing from a variable information input which isplaced in a selected position therewith in a singular optical path.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by selectivelyexposing fixed information in the form of a transparency by a copyingsystem using reflection projection and additional variable informationon opaque stock in a singular optical path whereby a selective compositeimage can be exposed from an object plane onto a photosensitive surfaceof the apparatus and then processing the image formed on thephotosensitive surface to produce copies thereof.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects andfurther features thereof, reference is bad to the following detaileddescription of the invention to be read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an embodiment of copying apparatusembodying the invention arranged in conjunction with anelectrostatographic apparatus adapted for continuous automaticoperation;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the platen of the copying apparatus andcard handling apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the card handling apparatus accordingto one embodiment of the invention and FIG. 4 is the side sectional viewof the card handling apparatus according to a second embodiment of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate likeelements, there is shown schematically in FIG. I an electrostaticcopying apparatus 10 adapted to reproduce document information in theenvironment of a platen II. The copying apparatus comprises axerographic plate formed as a drum 12 containing a photoconductive layeron a conductive backing. The drum is mounted on a shaft journaled on asuitable frame of the machine to rotate in the direction indicated bythe arrow to cause the drum surface sequentially to pass a plurality ofprocessing stations.

As is usual with electrostatic copying machine, the several xerographicprocessing stations in the path of movement of the drum surface comprisea charging station preferably located as indicated by referencecharacter A at which a uniform electrostatic charge is deposited on thephotoconduc tive layer of the drum. An exposure station located as shownby reference character B, at which a light radiation pattern of copy tobe reproduced is projected onto the drum surface to dissipate the drumcharge in the exposed portions thereof, thereby forming a latentelectrostatic image of copy to be reproduced.

Adjacent to the exposure station is a developing station C, whereat thelatent electrostatic image is developed by cascading an electrostaticpowder over the drum forming a powder image corresponding to the latentelectrostatic image on the drum. Next adjacent to the developing stationis the image transfer station D, where the powder image iselectrostatically transferred from the drum surface to a transfermaterial or support surface. The powder image on the transfer materialmay be fused thereto by a fuser l4 and transported to the copy outputtray 16.

The final station E is a drum cleaning and discharge station to preparethe drum surface for the next cycle. For a more complete and detaileddescription of the automatic copying stations referred to above, see US.Pat. No. 3,062,109 to Mayo issued Nov. 6, 1962.

In accordance with the present invention, composite imaging of multipleinputs is accomplished in conjunction with electrostatic reproduction atan object plane on plate 11 of the copying apparatus. A transparentmember 20 with reproducible opaque information thereon is supported onthe platen such that image light rays from the projection system may bereflected by the opaque information on the transparent member to thesurface of drum l2. Opaque card members 22 bearing variable informationare advanced from a stack 24 by card handling apparatus generallydesignated 30 for copying with the fixed information on transparentmember 20 on the platen 11 in a manner as will become more apparent.

The card handling apparatus 30 comprises a base 31, a transparent cardtray 32, top and rear end walls 33 and 35, respectively, and sidewalls37, 39. Top wall 33 is formed with an opening which allows easyinsertion or withdrawal from above the stack of opaque card members eachbearing individual graphic information as for example addressees to besent copies of a letter as represented by the information ontransparency member 20.

To feed the cards 22 individually from the stack onto transparentsupport tray 22 in overlying position with the platen, there is a cardfeeder mechanism 54 comprising a base on which is mounted a card feedingknife element 48 which serves to advance the bottommost card member ofthe stack in the direction of the support tray 32. Card feeder mechanism44 comprises a single drive cord 51 which is passed around a pulley 53mounted on the card feeding knife element and then is passed around acord drive train including pulleys 55, 57 mounted on the base, pulleys61, 63 mounted on sidewall 39 and pulleys 65, 67 mounted on sidewall 37.To cause a card member to be advanced, a drive unit 70 comprising acrank wheel 71 and crank pin 73 imparts a reciprocating movement to apulley 75 encircled by the cord 51 to urge the card feed ing knifeelement in a forward direction thereby advancing the bottom most cardtoward drive rolls 77, 78 mounted on shafts 80, 81, respectively. Driverolls 77, 78 mounted on shafts 80, 81 are continuously driven by a drive(not shown) connected to drive shaft 80 to advance the card from thefeed position onto the support tray 32. A spring member 79 serves toreturn card feeding knife element 48 to its original position therebyrestoring cord 51 to its starting position for another feed cycle. Itwill be noted that support tray 32 is formed with an upwardly inclinedportion 34 so as to enable card members to stack on the tray from thebottom.

In order to enable the opaque card members to be fed to be aligned alongthe platen 11 in a direction transverse to the feed direction toward theplaten, lateral movement may be imparted to the card feeder mechanism 54a drive control means employing the cord drive train as will become moreapparent. Card feeder mechanism 54 is mounted for lateral movement on apair of slide rails 83, 85 and cord 51 is fixed to the base by tieelement 87. A lateral position drive unit 90 comprising crank 91 isconnected to a pulley 93 which is two or more times encircled by cord 51whereby rotary movement imparted to the crank 91 causes the cord 51 toimpart a movement transverse to the direction of feed of the card feedermechanism. It will now be appreciated that card feed mechanism utilizesa single or unitary drive means in both a longitudinal and transversedirection to the platen of the copying apparatus position the variableinformation on a card in a preselected position in registration with thetransparent member bearing fixed document information. Thus merely bychanging the opaque card information or the location of the cardinformation relative to the transparent member and platen, it ispossible to change the composition of forms to be reproduced on a singletransfer sheet or copy to obtain a desired composite image.

In FIG. 4, there is illustrated a second embodiment for the card feederdrive mechanism which is similar to that of FIG. 3 only in the lastembodiment, a second cord 95 is utilized in place of the spring memberof the earliest embodiment.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structuredisclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth but isintended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within thepurpose of the improvement of the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Copying apparatus for making a composite image from fixed andvariable information comprising,

a platen on which a transparent member bearing opaque fixed informationis supported,

card handling means including a transparent support tray for advancingopaque cards bearing different information in registration with aselected portion of the transparent member along a first dimensionthereof, and

control means associated with said card handling means for moving saidsupport tray from a first position to additional positions along theplaten in registration with a selected portion of the transparent memberalong a second dimension.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein unitary drive means isconnected to said card handling means and said control means to obtainthe aforementioned registration.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said unitary drive meanscomprises a single cord element in an associated drive train.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said unitary drive meanscomprises dual opposed cord elements in an associated drive train.

5. In a reproduction system for producing final copies from informationimaged onto a photosensitive surface adapted for movement past imageprocessing stations, the improvement comprising a platen on which atransparent member bearing opaque fixed information is supported, cardhandling means including a transparent support tray for advancing opaquecards bearing different information in registration with a selectedportion of the transparent member along a first dimension thereof, andcontrol means associated with said card handling means the moving saidsupport tray from a first position to additional positions along theplaten in registration with a selected portion of the transparent memberalong a second dimension whereby copies of fixed and variableinformation may be produced.

1. Copying apparatus for making a composite image from fixed andvariable information comprising, a platen on which a transparent memberbearing opaque fixed information is supported, card handling meansincluding a transparent support tray for advancing opaque cards bearingdifferent information in registration with a selected portion of thetransparent member along a first dimension thereof, and control meansassociated with said card handling means for moving said support trayfrom a first position to additional positions along the platen inregistration with a selected portion of the transparent member along asecond dimension.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein unitarydrive means is connected to said card handling means and said controlmeans to obtain the aforementioned registration.
 3. Apparatus accordingto claim 2 wherein said unitary drive means comprises a single cordelement in an associated drive train.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2wherein said unitary drive means comprises dual opposed cord elements inan associated drive train.
 5. In a reproduction system for producingfinal copies from information imaged onto a photosensitive surfaceadapted for movement past image processing stations, the improvementcomprising a platen on which a transparent member bearing opaque fixedinformation is supported, card handling means including a transparentsupport tray for advancing opaque cards bearing different information inregistration with a selected portion of the transparent member along afirst dimension thereof, and control means associated with said cardhandling means the moving said support tray from a first position toadditional positions along the platen in registration with a selectedportion of the transparent member along a second dimension wherebycopies of fixed and variable information may be produced.